Padding rug



May 24, 1932- DEL ROY F. FOWLER PADDI NG RUG Filed Nov. 29, 1930 Fla-lyou (I an! JVUUV ,4ITOP/VEJ Patented May 24, 1932 DEL no! if. FOWLER, or n'mmmsn rank, PENNSYLVANIA rannme RUG 1pplication filed November My invention relates to padding rugs and the method of making the'same, the object being} to 'rovide'a' rug-like structure made up essent ally of sisal fibres, preferably incorporated with afabric backing which will be of practically uniform thickness, compact structure and endowed with"specially advantageous features as to wearing qualities,"

facility for cleaning and adaptability for certain special uses.

In my, Patent N 0. 1,565,267,- I have described anjupholstery pad made up ofa fabric backing overlaid by a multiplicity of thin veilsof cardedsisal fibre so disposed thatthe fibres in each adjacent veilwill cross those of contacting'veil'sat an angle, the sisal structure thus built up being securedto the fabric backing by'linesof stitching. M new pad; ding ru'gin its preferred form is built upin the samemann'er with a fabric backing and angularly disposed thin veils'of sisal fibre but is furth er characterized in that -the struc;

tially uniformthickness and consistency and approximately'level surface by subjecting the structure formed as above described to a needling process whereby a multiplicity of sisal fibres from the upper layers are carried down through the underlying layers of sisal fibre and the fabric backing, thereby materialy compacting and densifying the structureand bringing it to asubstantially uniformthickness. Thepaddingrugthusformed is of great firmness and permanency of struc-' ture, very resistent to wear and very easily and thoroughly cleaned by a vacuum cleaner It also has a valuable inherent quality inthat it is repellant to insects andto rats and mice! The padding'rug is, I have found. especially well adapted for the make-up of the fairway and greens of a miniature golf course and is also of great value as a padding rug underlying a carpet or rug of ordinary construction. Itmay'also' he used with advantage in many cases as a floor covering directly exposed to wear and is also of value for other purposes. \Vhilc. as above stated, I prefer to build up my padding rug upon and in connection with a fabric backing, a servi( -eable 29, 1930. Serial No. 498,958.

padding rug can be made without a fabric backing by securing the layers or veils of sisal fibre together by lines of stitching and also by a multiplicity of fibrous ties forced through'the sewed padby needling so as to bring the pad to an approximately even thickness, approximately level surface and a considerable'degree of compactness.

Mymethod of manufacturing my new padding rug consists, broadly speaking, in depositing amultiplicity of thin veilsof carded sisal fibre upon eachother and preferably a fabric backing in such manner that the fibres of successive veils will cross each other at an an le, then when the desired thickness of the pat thus secured stitching the layers of sisal fibre together and to the fabric backing, when such a backin is used, by lines of. stitches and then sub ecting the so prepared pad to a needling operation whereby a mulr r t plicity of-sisal fibres fromtheupper layers secured to the backing by hues of stitching are carried down through the underlying v r I .i layers and through the fabric backing when ture is compacted and brought to substan-.

used, with the result of greatly densifying the structure and bringing it to a substantially uniform thickness.

My improved padding rug is, asI' have stated, of particular value for use as a fairway and putting green for miniature golf courses. The multiplicity of thin fibre ends projecting from the upper surface of the padding rug causes a'golf ball played over its surface to behave very much as it would when played over a fine'grass surface. Theelastic nature of the padding rug brings about a prompt and complete elimination of heel marks or of temporary depressions formed by the impact of a golf club. The material can be readily shaped-to give-any desired conformation to the fairway and putting greens and severed edges when abutted against each other produce a surface without indentation and not distinguishablefrom the body ofthe padding rug surface.

Thc. ultimate thickness and degree of condensation of the sisal fibre layers will depend in part upon the quantity of sisal fibre used per square foot of surface. 'lhus u'hcre the layers of sisal amount to about six ounces to the squarcfoot of surface. I have found that the rug can be advantageously condensed to a thickness of from one-half to five-eighths of an inch and for similar densities where the weight of sisal fibre is less the thickness of the finished padding rug should be propertionately less. The described degree of densification I have found to be such as adapts the padding rug for use as a fairway and putting green in miniature golf courses and for use beneath a carpet or rug. For other uses it may be desirable in some cases to make a more dense packing rug and it will be understood that the compacting and densification of the material is controllable, in the first place, by the tension of the thread used in forming the lines of thread stitching and, in the second place, by the extent of the needling to which the body is subjected after the stitch lines have been formed.

The lines of thread stitching in my fabric have a notable value in preventing the tearing apart of the compacted layers of sisal fibre, thus affording a very necessary reinforcement to the sisal fibres pushed down through the padding by needling. The stitch lines have also material usefulness in that they tie the folds of sisal fibre together at intervals and in a state of compression determined in the formation of the stitch lines. This reinforcement of the structure undoubtedly acts to prevent uneven expansion which might be due to slipping of the fibre ties produced by needling. Again, in the process of manufacturing my padding rugs the stitching of the sisal veils together, which can and would be accomplished promptly after the desired thickness of the padding is secured, prevents any slipping of the veils upon each other in subsequent handling including the needling of the pad.

To further explain and illustrate my in vention, reference may be had to the drawings forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved padding rug.

Figure 2 is a perspective view' illustrating the method of disposing thin veils of carded sisal fibre upon each other to build up the body of the padding rug, the fibre layers being here shown as deposited upon a fabric backing.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the second operation, which consists of securing the layers of sisal fibre together and,

' as shown, to a fabric backing by parallel lines of stitches which compact the fibre layers together where the lines of stitching are formed, resulting in the formation of a very uneven surface, and

Figure 4 illustrates the operation of need ling as applied to the structure shown in Fig. 3, this needling operation being carried on so as to cause a great multiplicity of sisal fibres to permeate the padding and so as to bring the entire pad to a substantially even thickness with level surface, the thickness of the pad being substantially that of the thickening produced along the lines of stitching in the second operation of forming the padding rug.

In the drawings, A indicates 'the fabric backing, which is commonly of coarse Woven jute but may consist of any desired woven or felted fabric. 13, B, etc. indicate the layers or veils of sisal fibre disposed so that adjacent veils cross each other at an angle. C, C indicates the lines of stitching by which the layers of sisal fibre are secured together and to the fabric backing when used. D, D,

etc. indicate the sisal fibres which are pushed down by the needling operation through the mass of the padding so as to compact the padding and bring itt-o a substantial even thickness and E,YE indicate typical needles, such as are commonly used in the operation of needling.

Having now described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secureby Let-. ters Patent, is:

1. A padding rug made up of a multiplic-v ity of thin veils of carded sisal fibre, such,

veils being so disposed that the fibres of adj acent veils cross each other at an angle, the

sisal pad thus formed being secured together I I by lines of stitches and the composite struc-,

ture being densified and brought to approximately even thickness by needling, whereby a multiplicity of fibres fromthe upper lay em or veils extend verticallydownward through the underlying layers.

2. The method of making padding rugs which consists in depositing upon each other multiple thin veils of carded sisal fibres so disposed that the fibres in each veil cross .those of adjacent veils at an angle, then securing the padding thus formed together by rows of stitches and then compacting the structure and bringing it to a substantially,

even thickness by needling, whereby fibres of the upper veils orlayers are forced downl\ ygrd through the underlying layers of sisal 3. A padding rug made up of fabric backing supporting a padding made uprof multiple thin veils of sisal fibres, such veils being so disposed that the fibres of adjacent veils cross each other at an angle. the sisal pad thus formed being secured to the fabric backing by lines of stitches and the composite structure being densified and brought to approximately even thickness by needling,

whereby a multiplicity of fibres from the upper layers or veils extend vertically downward through the underlying layers and the fabric backing.

4. The method of making padding rugs which consists in depositing upon a fabric backing multiple thin veils of carded sisal fibres so disposed that the fibres in each veil cross those of adjacent Veils at an angle, then securing the padding thus formed to the fabric backing by rows of stitches and then compacting the structure and bringing it to a substantially even thickness by needling, whereby fibres of the upper veils 0r layers are forced downward through the underlying la ers of sisal fibre into and through the fa ric backing.

DEL ROY F. FOWLER. 

